Hyperlinking Media: Research, Examples, and Digressions into Literature

Lately, I've been reading a lot of literature lately, from Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, a story about Oedpia Maas, whose ex-boyfriend has died and has now become sole executor of his estate, while along the way uncovers two mail distributions, Thurn and Taxis, an former mail distributor in 16th century Germany and Trystero, a fictional secret mail service company, to Consider the Lobster, a collection of essays that ranged from attending the AVN (Adult Video News) Awards, considered to be the pornographic Oscars to an essay about his experience on John McCain's 2000 presidential run for President of the United States and the state of disappointment in how political campaigns work, whether we like it or not.

Even before I started reading the book by getting a copy from the San Francisco Main Library, I found an interest in Pynchon's works when I was wondering about what the philosophical novel was by Googling the term philosophical novel. I then chose one of the top search results by clicking the link that I have also snapped a photo with the help of capturing a screenshot of my desktop, then opened up Paint.NET, a freeware version of Illustrator.

As I clicked the NYTimes.com article from thereon, I happened to stumble upon David Foster Wallace after watching the movie Tuesdays With Morrie on Youtube, which is in 11 parts. After getting myself acquainted with the movie, it was based on a bestselling nonfiction book. I checked out its wikipedia page. I got a bit curious when I saw Philosophical fiction as one of the Genre(s) of the book, mostly because when I thought of philosophy at the time, I was thinking about how we deal with problems and finding rational solutions to solve these problems that erupt our lives and the world that shapes us.

In short, one link leads to another and I happen to have a huge stack of books on my desk, some of which I have read and most I should be getting to:

From top to bottom:

-The Gangster We Are All Looking For (done)

-Consider the Lobster

-The Crying of Lot 49 (done)

-The Essential Writers Companion

-Infinite Jest

-Mason & Dixon

-South Wind Changing (done)

-This is All I Choose to Tell (done)

-Saving Fish From Drowning

-The Corrections

-Yellow Journal (Asian American Studies department)

-Crossing Three Wildernesses

-The Feeling Good Handbook

-The Pale King

-Inherent Vice

Examples of Literature turned into hypermedia/text

-Sun Tzu's "The Art of War"

-James Joyce's "Ulysses"

Final Project

First off, sorry if we couldn't do this project on the final day. I didn't expect time to be short and the fact that this journey might take a lot of time while everyone needed to present their work. To expand what my final project entails, the idea was to make the class create a small community work of art with the concept of a "Choose Your Own Adventure" game, or Gamebook which the player or reader makes choices that will affect the outcome of the projected Post-It "class art" piece.

And please, at least try to this adventure just so I can see how far one can go to reach one of the endings. Send your documentation and a quick survey about the experience (optional). Even if some of the choices sounds ridiculous, maybe use your imagination to conjure up the result of the journey.

Choose Your Own Outdoor Adventure (I.O.U. an Excuse)

You will be making choices that will determine your actions and outcome of the narrative, whether it follows it or not. A list of letters will be provided below which you can explore different narratives that deviate from the main story or goal of this game (which isn't the main point of the game, I prefer to explore without being constricted to the reader's interpretation of the adventure), although you can follow the goal of the game, which is this:

-Tyson Stupolini is running out of the outbound M-Line MUNI light rail and towards the campus in order to turn in his essay, which is due in two hours. Unfortunately, he hasn't written a single word of the essay and he needs to find a computer station that will give him time to complete his essay about the history of Communism and Sesame Street.

But another problem arises: he's only allowed to follow a set of directions followed by the Dominatino Manchino that frequently circles the San Francisco State campus to spy on Tyson. He was killed when he was on letter 'K'.

Now you have to make up his excuse by posting a Post-It on the right professors door, which will excuse Tyson for not completing his work and will be given another week to “make up” his work. (Hopefully this will be a confusing, yet interesting “adventure”).

If you happen to find a dead end or get to finish the game, please take documentation of your journey by snapping a photo of your current location, as well as the Post-It located, if the Post-It isn't used, just take a picture either way and you're done.

Your adventure will be followed with a set of choices that will correspond with the letter that will choose your next move. Imagination is needed for this game as well as a Batmobile that has six beverage cup holders, which I have in my garage (that's the sort of imagination you need for example, or a schizophrenic mind if you need to be in my head). I also don't want to responsible with any injures or damages that may occur during your adventure.

What a day! A group of people almost got hit by a three gray Prius while they were walking across the bus stop towards the campus at 19^th Avenue. Luckily, I wasn't in the crowd because I was grabbing a copy of the Examiner. A big and bold title in the middle of the front page says, “Miller Shows His Willer to Killer, Cuts His Willer to Eat More Diller Picklers.” I was pretty stupefied by the title, which saved by life because all I did was stare at the innuendo title.

START at A.

A. You're at the front of the campus and you see a man with a pony tail [B.], a guy wearing a leather jacket [C.], a person wearing a scarf [D.], or a person streaking and they run past by you [E.].

B. You walk behind the ponytail man and he's wearing a backpack [X.] or is holding a bag of some sort [Q.]

C. The man you see now is being taken away by two men in white. You try to help him by punching the guy in white [T.] or do nothing at all [K.]

D. You recognize the person wearing the scarf [F.] or not [L.].

E. That streaker reminds you that you need to get you tires check, but now you need to read this QR code on the last page that wouldn't read at all for some reason (Maybe try checking it on the mirror to read it's message). If you do that, read the QR code's message, if you can't find a mirror, give up on finding one, or want to go to [L.]

H. Now take a snapshot of where you placed the post-it that would be recognizable with your smartphone. It can be anywhere visible or hidden, as long as it sticks onto somewhere. If a Post-It isn't involved and an action is involved, please take a photo of your performed action (e.g. standing in a pose, lying on grass) with the help of your partner. Please send your pictures to  End of journey.

I. You just lay on the grass, motionless. Maybe you're dead or just taking a nap. Whether the matter is important, I suggest going back to [A.] to start all over or stop and take a photo of where you are now. Go to [H.].

J. You found a quick shortcut to the goal of the story, which is to put the Post-It on Paula's door with a note that you write down, saying:

Dear Paula,

I'm sorry if you haven't gotten my essay on time. I'll send it to you via email.

With regards,

Tyson Stupolini. Now go to [Y.]

K. You've been spotted by one of the men in white, which he chases you down towards a grassy area, which you run to. You get pinned down on the grass and are asked where Elmo's whereabouts are. You say that you have no idea [I.] or that he's atop of a building where he's close to the sky and clouds [M., for this situation, go to top of Caesar Chavez rooftop].

L. Now you're a little parched and you go to the nearest fountain to take a drink of water. While you're taking a drink, you see [a man in white and try to run away [K.]] or [run to the rooftop of the Caesar Chavez rooftop [M.]].

M. You are taken to the rooftop of the building [go to Caesar Chavez Center building]. Depending on the temperature, it's either very cold [U.] or hot [W.].

N. Now write down on the post-it note, with your own name if you wish or Tyson's name, as well as the person you are corresponding to, with the blanks that show:

Dear ______,

I have previously given you a hardcopy of my essay, which I believe was eaten by your dog, Snaufy. Please give my regards to him, as I recall stapling my essay too many times.

Signed,

_______ _______ Go to [Y.]

O. Now write down on the post-it note, with your own name and with the blanks that show:

Dear Paula,

I have solved the riddle of why Stalin and the Count can count to twenty million. The Big Bird is Stalin inside that yellow-feathered costume and I'm pretty sure there's a conspiracy around the death of Tyson. Please send cookies.

With regards,

_______ _______ Go to [Y.]

P. Please write on your Post-It note:

Dear Paula,

I'm sorry if I didn't turn in my essay. A clown ripped it in shreds, but made it in a dog instead. It looks cool.

With regards,

_______ _______ Go to [Y.]

Q. You're now reminded of the time when you lost your keys that fell somewhere around an area where trees dominate the area. Maybe you should sit on a bench somewhere close by to ponder that this is a dead end. Now write three things when you think about candy canes. Now go to [Y.]

U. Now take your Post-It note and write down this: _______ & _______ WAS here! Your journey ends here. Now go to [Y.]

W. Now take your Post-It note and write down this:

Dear Paula,

I have given the whereabouts of Elmo and his location to the man in white. Please send Abby Cadabby to send me back to the mental ward so that I can stop playing this stupid game.

Signed,

_______ _______ Go to [Y.]

X. Is there a Gymnasium building nearby? Maybe you forgot your paper in there. Go to the gym building and if you see someone holding a duffel bag, write a Post-It note that should say:

Missing an essay about the history of Sesame Street and the mass killings of Stalin. Please burn essay as soon as possible.

With regards,

_______ _______ Go to [Y.]

If you see at least one person sitting on the steps outside, please write down on the Post-It note:

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts
There they are standing in a row
Big ones small ones some as big as your head
Give 'em a twist
A flick of the wrist
That's what the show man said

Go to [Y.]

Y. Please go to the Fine Arts building 537 and place the post-it note on the door. Now go to [H.]

Z. Unfortunately, you're now in a pose where you're on one leg and form a circle with your arms in the sky. Now go to [H.]

Hyperland

Claustrophobia for Toddlers

"Claustrophobia for Toddlers", an experimental poem [Interweaving text and video, for one example, as a form of hypertext]

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNO-PQR-STU-VWX-YZ

a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p-q-r-s-t-u-v-w-x-y-z

A--B--C--D--E--F--G--H--I--J--K--L--M--N--O--P--Q--R--S--T--U--V--W--X--Y--Z

a--b--c--d--e--f--g--h--i--j--k--l--m--n--o--p--q--r--s--t--u--v--w--x--y--z

A---B---C---D---E---F---G---H---I---J---K---L---M---N---O---P---Q---R---S---T---U---V---W---X---Y---Z

a---b---c---d---e---f---g---h---i---j---k---l---m---n---o---p---q---r---s---t---u---v---w---x---y---z

December 8, 1995

I was working on the final edits of my first book of poems and short stories being published next year with my literary agent Emily. I was my agent's house for the night, making the finishing touches in her San Francisco apartment in Van Ness, which also had a nice view of the concrete buildings. It was a pretty swinging pad for a bachelorette, considering that she also lives with two other women, Lindsey and Keli, who seem to be lovers of their own dimension, despite having separate rooms.

I saw them kissing at one point when I walked in the kitchen to refill my glass with water when Lindsey finished straining the pasta before making a quick run towards Keli's red glossy lips and interlocking a kiss with lips puckered at the ready, showing the appreciation and mutual respect sharing cooking duties, creating an intimate environment of pleasure and calmness for tonight's dinner. They were cooking spaghetti and they asked Emily if I could be invited over for dinner, since she pays most of the rent.

Dinners were not like this before. Back then, the majority of the cooking was spent over fighting about which technique was best to cut the onions, for example. Keli would always cut her onions horziontally, but Lindsey preferred to cut it vertically because it was obviously a safer technique than Keli's.

Emily says yes and we both go back to her bedroom, where During the editing of the book, she made a comment on my poem that was posted on the world wide web. We always get into a conversation about my poem every time I'm with her.

A majority of my poems were published in literary magazines, local and major newspapers, and even on the World Wide Web, which was pretty sweet cause I got a ton of phone calls from old college professors, friends, ex-boyfriends and girlfriends I dated in high school and college, something I didn't think would come back to haunt me, and even an employee from a publishing company that caught his interests in my work and through that connection, Emily heard about my poem after some gossip about Notorious B.I.G. and his acceptance speech while the employees ate their alphabet soup, which reminded Emily to seek me out.

It was so trippy to see one of my own works on the world wide web, especially when nobody other than my close friends and a couple of my family members read my work, especially my cousin Joey, who was one of the first people who called me about the poem he saw on the internet. He's a total nerd about everything that's technology based related, from repairing a Super Nintendo, which he spruced up the A/V input on my at one point, setting up the internet in my house, and even fixing my father's 27" Magnavox television screen that he won on a game show sometime in the 80s that broke during game 6 of the World Series when the crowd started booing at David Justice. My dad was the cause for breaking the television set when he threw an unopened beer can at the television set, causing the T.V. to break, thus blacking out the screen for about an hour or so. The living room became dead silent for a couple of seconds, until Joey got the television working and was treated to the 9th inning.

My phone number was posted on the website that featured my poem, which I was okay with that after I got the call from the publisher at first, but became a bit unease when the ex's started calling, but became a more paranoid when I was left with some disturbing calls on my answering machine saying that he knew the meaning of life and would precede to hang up immediately. I answered the unknown caller a couple of times, but was treated to the sounds of my dial-up modem while I was starting up AOL. I don't understand why this happens every time I try to phone someone up. Maybe I should cut my phone line and stick with email so I get creepers calling me anymore. Not sure if the Do Not Call list is working for me though.

At one point, I heard him crying while he was trying to give me a sequence of random letters, which after three minutes of hearing this, I wrote all of the letters down on my notepad, which I've been taking notes for anything obscure. For some weird reason, I also heard this song in another phone call after a couple seconds of silence. I recall hearing it on the radio at one point, but I forget the title of the song. But still, it was pretty eerie getting unwanted phone calls from some wacko who thinks it's appropriate to make phone calls on a stranger.

At some point during the editing, Emily brings up my poem, "Claustrophobia for Toddlers". She always brings up that title and tells me I have some hilarious titles for my other works. I make a grimace face every time someone tells me the titles I make up sound ridiculous. Then again, Pootie Tang sounds a bit silly for a story about four kids going on an adventure to find a dead body of some young kid in the summer of 1959. I just thought there should have been an alternative version of Stand by Me where the kid doesn't brandish a gun, but rather he pulls out a banana that has become so blacken, yet it does not yield any rotten smell. It's just black and nothing else.

"Now come on," with a sarcastic, child-like voice, "I don't understand what's your obsession with the alphabet and Sesame Street. They're like, so elementary--so grade school--so--"

"--educational, innocent, and fun," I say in a serious, rushing tone,"now can we just get done with damn editing and I'll be on my way." He knew what her rhetorical spout was gonna be when the poem was ever gonna be mentioned.

Emily stops, stares at the pages, her face looking a bit down with a pen in her hand between her index and middle finger like a seesaw and hitting the pages as she looks at me and says, "Okay, I'm sorry about poking at your work, it's just that . . ."

"What?" with a curious, yet suspicious gesture of voice.

"I honestly think that poem seems--weird and honestly, a bit stupid, in a way."

I pause for a few seconds, having the urge to punch her in the face. I start to bite my lower lip and make a fist with the my right hand, ready to punch her at anytime. I seriously don't give a shit anymore about whether or not I hit a girl, she's just getting on my nerves and I can't tolerate stupidity like this from her mouth. I mean seriously, what the hell has been going in life life lately? I'm about to have my first book published, I've been getting phone calls endlessly, from ex's to some stalker who won't stop bothering me, and now this?

I try my best to calm down as my face starts to turn red, sweat coming from my forehead, pouring down like tears of a baby whose face becomes red, crying profusely because his mother stopped holding him in her arms, rocking him his narcissistic crying attention to comfort. In my case, it was myself not trying to get angry at Emily, which reminded that I was a guest at her place and that their roommates invited me to dinner.

Bibliography

Okay, who needs a bibliography when I'm doing a research paper on hypertext. It's already intertextualized into this research paper. Like so what?

Well here's a video of a kitty being surprised by its owner to confuse you even more:

Final Proposal and Paper: Interactive Fiction

For my final project, I've been thinking of creating a a Choose Your Own Adventure/Gamebook novel in a physical format.

Examples:

Another idea somewhat deviates from the first idea, but the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' book would be in the form of a text adventure.

Little bonus:

Some inspiration from Kermit and Joey. Maybe I can bring in some--Cookie Monster--typography and locative--Cookie Monster--media into one. Or something else nice and green.

Progress of Final Projects: Interactive Fiction, Locative Arts, Etc.

So I'm getting started with my research by looking up articles about locative media on JSTOR. I pulled an article called Locative Arts by Drew Hemment, which details some of locative media works from 2003 to 2004, featuring the ideas of location based games from Blast Theory, GPS Drawing from Jeremy Wood, and other artists that involve using location, physical environment, and much more to the umbrella term of locative media.

From what I got out of this article, the basis of annotating space is the main function for locative media/art for what it is. It's the idea that artists create markings in physical or virtual space in order to comment about the functions of life, or whatever one wishes to believe in the paradigm of thinking about location-based arts.

Making a Toaster from Scratch

Something I found while watching the Colbert Report.

Maybe with all of the unrecycled electronic material we have piling in landfills in foreign countries like the Philippines, India, or China for example, there's a possibility to create any sort of common household product found in an American home.